I was always a goody-goody. Never skipped school until college. I didn’t even participate in Senior Skip Day in high school, which was all but posted on the school calendar.
However, if I were to play hooky, I’d want it to be a once-in-a-lifetime, memorable occasion. The following ten characters could surely make it a time I would never forget, or regret!
1. Bastian from The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
Now, this guy knows how to skip school! Steal an awesome book from a bookstore, hide out in an attic (or storage room) full of blankets and candles, and literally get sucked into a good book. Plus, he brought supplies- an apple and PbJ, which he’s really good at rationing. I would love to skip a day of school so I could read with Bastian.
2. Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
I’ve always wanted to see New York! I could skip school and explore with Holden at my side…maybe I could even get him to lighten up!
3. Jake from The Waste Lands by Stephen King
I’m still reading The Waste Lands, and Jake just finished the weirdest day of skipping school–opening random doors in hopes of finding a desert, trespassing in vacant lots where he sees and hears trippy things, until he finally passes out in said vacant lot. I know it sounds like Jake might not be the best for a fun day, but he did hang out in a very cool bookstore. Plus, eventually his truancy is going to pay off when he finally finds the door he’s looking for! It would be awesome if I could skip school that day too!
4. Huckleberry Finn from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Just look at this guy! Skipping school so we can do some hunting and fishing, floating down the Mississippi, avoiding danger. I think Huck would be a blast to skip school with!
5. Alice from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Falling down the rabbit hole and exploring Wonderland or another typical day at school? I vote hanging with Alice!
6. Bod from The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
This kid desperately needs a pal! Particularly a pal who can keep him away from the goblins who’d love to steal him away and the psycho who murdered his whole family. He is pretty fun though, with a good imagination and he plays with ghosts in a graveyard. I could skip a day of school to hang out with him.
7. Anne Shirley from the Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Now, I know that Anne would never skip school! She’s almost as big of a goody-two-shoes as I am when it comes to school. But, if she did, we would have some fun! We could hang out at the Lake of Shining Waters, imagine ghosts and goblins in the woods, and gossip a bit about Josie Pye!
8. Harry, Hermione, and Ron from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Skipping school with this crew could mean butter beers, hiding under Harry’s invisibility cloak, and standing up to rotten Slytherins. Or getting some sleuthing work done. Either way, it would certainly be a worthy excuse for skipping school!
9. Ponyboy and Johnny from The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Awww, these cutie pies could use a reassuring voice when they hide out in the abandoned church. I could’ve helped them cut and color their hair so that it didn’t turn out so bad, help them read Gone with the Wind, and fixed them some real food other than bologna sandwiches. Or I could just spend the day giving them hugs and kisses, which is what they so desperately needed!
10. Pippi Longstocking from Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Man, this girl is crazy! Check out the spotted horse on her doorstep! If you skip school, head over to Pippi’s house…she can make anything fun and wild!
This is in response to the Top Ten Tuesday prompt from The Broke and the Bookish.
Tonight’s the night! Season 5 of Mad Men premieres on AMC at 9:00! Two hours!
While I haven’t had to wait as long as other fans (I only just started watching seasons 1-4 in November), I am still very excited to see what’s happening to my favorite characters!
So, today I will be gearing up for the premiere by watching some of my favorite episodes from the past seasons (all previous seasons are streaming on Netflix). These favorite episodes include:
-Warning: Don’t Click on These if You Haven’t Watched the Show–Synopses Contain Spoilers!-
“A Night to Remember” Season 2: Episode 8
“Six-Month Leave” Season 2: Episode 9
“Meditations in an Emergency” Season 2: Episode 13
“Out of Town”: Season 3: Episode 1
“My Old Kentucky Home”: Season 3: Episode 3
“The Grown-Ups”: Season 3: Episode 12
“Shut the Door. Have a Seat.” Season 3: Episode 13
And most, if not all, of Season 4 (definitely my all-time favorite episode “The Suitcase” and the finale).
Other Mad Men Links That Have Me All Worked Up!
While watching the last two episodes of The Walking Dead (also on AMC), I loved these Mad Men trailers that link up my two favorite shows! Check ’em out!
and my personal favorite
“and drinks like Hershel used to…” my favorite line!
Book Riot has posted a couple of bookish posts on Mad Men. First, there’s “Recommended Books for the Characters of MAD MEN”. Then, there’s also “Nonfiction for the Life and Times of MAD MEN“.
There’s a lot of reading being done on Mad Men. Flavorwire has compiled “The Definitive ‘Mad Men’ Reading List” for any fans who want to read along. Also, they’ve pulled together a 1966 playlist to act as soundtrack for this season. Check it out!
Then, for those of us planning to really celebrate the return of Mad Men, there’s tips and recipes for throwing a Mad Men premiere party. I think I might try out Joanie’s famous Ginger Snap and Roger Sterling’s Party Nuts!
Can you tell how excited I am? So excited! Just wait until you see how excited I am for the premiere of Game of Thrones—I’m gonna be nuts!
Wow, this week went by slowly!
It’s finally the weekend, and it couldn’t have come any slower. This was one of those weeks where it went by so slowly that I almost feel that it should be next week by now.
But, the week is over now, and I have a lot of bookish things on my radar that I wanted to share.
Currently, I am still reading The Waste Lands by Stephen King. While it’s hard to put down when I’m reading it, in the last couple of days, I haven’t been able to squeeze in time to read! So, I’m hoping that I can get some reading done this weekend, although it’s unlikely that it will happen because I’m gearing up for…
Mad Men! The two-hour season premiere airs tomorrow and I can’t wait! I will be writing about all things Mad Men tomorrow, and will probably re-watch most of season 4 on Netflix all day before the premiere. I am in love with this show–I consider it to be the most consistent, well-developed series on television to date. I can’t wait to see what’s going on with my favorite characters in this new season! How many of you are as excited as I am?!
Also, I mentioned it earlier this week, but now it’s official–Dewey’s Readathon is back! Sign-ups are here! I have officially signed up to read for 24 hours on April 21st, and I hope you will too. I know my buddy Kyle at A Reader’s Pensieve is doing it, but I’m urging the rest of you to set aside the day to do it as well! And, YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO FOR THE FULL 24 HOURS! (I’m looking at you SJ) Just sign up and read for however long you can go! It’s about all of us setting aside a bit of time to read as a community. We can update our reading progress on our blogs or over on Twitter and root each other on. I enjoyed reading alongside Jillian, of A Room of One’s Own, during the last readathon–we checked in with other through the wee hours, and at the witching hour of 3:00 a.m., when you’re reading a super-creepy book like The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, it’s really nice to know someone else is out there still reading as well. It’s just a very cozy feeling, knowing that you’re reading alongside (virtually) with the rest of your community. Just consider it, please?!
Another bookish event on my radar is Suvudu’s Cage Match 2012 event. Basically, characters from some of the best science fiction and fantasy titles are pitted against each other in a fight to the finish. Participants for this event have included Tyrion Lannister, Zaphod Beeblebrox, The Wicked Witch, Lady Jessica, Bast, and Mr. Wednesday (to name only a few). Check out the round 3 bracket here. The event is almost over (I found out about it on Wednesday, but it’s been going on all month!), but I’m enjoying reading the recaps of the past matches. So far, Zaphod Beeblebrox, Anomander Rake, Moiraine Damodred, Kelsier, Mr. Wednesday, Granny Weatherwax, Kylar Stern, and Erevis Cale are still in it. I’m only familiar with Zaphod and Wednesday, but the cool thing about this event is that it provides me with exposure to characters whom I might want to read about in their respective sci-fi and fantasy titles. Plus, it’s just a lot of fun for fans. I recommend you all check it out!
Finally, I signed up a few weeks ago, but the event has officially started, so I’ll announce now that I am going to take part in The Sarah Addison Allen Challenge hosted by Quirky Girls Read. For those of you who don’t know who Allen is, she writes lovely magical realism novels that always take place in North Carolina and always have something to do with delicious food. When I was in a reading rut last year, I picked up a copy of Allen’s Garden Spells simply for the lovely book cover, and I was surprised to find that I loved it. Her imagery and tone is like drinking an ice-cold Arnold Palmer on a hot summer day. So, for this challenge, I will read all four of Allen’s books in April, and, on the weekend, I will cook or bake something inspired by the story I read. For example, for The Girl Who Chased the Moon, I will bake Hummingbird Cake, as that’s one of the main character’s specialties. I believe that Allen even provides a recipe on her website. It’s gonna be delicious!
This will be my last week of teaching before a month-long Spring Break. So, if I’m not consistent in posting this week, just know that I’ll be a constant presence in April! I can’t wait!
• The Wise Man’s Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle #2) by Patrick Rothfuss
• Hardcover: 994 pages
• Publisher: Daw, 2011
• ISBN: 0756404738
• Genre: Fantasy
• Recommended For: Fans of the first book in the Kingkiller Chronicle series, The Name of the Wind; fans of fantasy.
Quick Review: Earns an 90 %, or 4.5 stars out of 5. Check out my rubric for my detailed assessment.The Wise Man’s Fear Rubric
I definitely recommend this, my favorite of the two books in the Kingkiller Chronicle series. Well-paced, full of mystery, and lots of themes to ponder.
How I Got Here: I read The Name of the Wind in 2011 and liked it, and Jessica, from Shhh…Mommy’s Blogging, highly recommended it, so I put it at the top of my TBR list for 2012.
The Book: Goodreads’ Synopsis
Day Two: The Wise Man’s Fear.
“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”
An escalating rivalry with a powerful member of the nobility forces Kvothe to leave the University and seek his fortune abroad. Adrift, penniless, and alone, he travels to Vintas, where he quickly becomes entangled in the politics of courtly society. While attempting to curry favor with a powerful noble, Kvothe discovers an assassination attempt, comes into conflict with a rival arcanist, and leads a group of mercenaries into the wild, in an attempt to solve the mystery of who (or what) is waylaying travelers on the King’s road.
All the while, Kvothe searches for answers, attempting to uncover the truth about the mysterious Amyr, the Chandrian, and the death of his parents. Along the way, Kvothe is put on trial by the legendary Adem mercenaries, forced to reclaim the honor of the Edema Ruh, and travels into the Fae realm. There he meets Felurian, the faerie woman no man can resist, and who no man has ever survived. Under her tutelage, Kvothe learns much about true magic and the ways of women.
In The Wise Man’s Fear Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time.
My Analysis and Critique:
There are a lot of lovers of this book. There’s also a lot of haters. I happen to be a lover. In fact, I liked this book a whole lot more than the first book in the series, The Name of the Wind, whereas most reviewers definitely saw this book as much weaker.
When reading the negative reviews on Goodreads, I couldn’t help but notice that many critiqued The Wise Man’s Fear for faults that I actually found in The Name of the Wind (they also hated the book because they were mad at Rothfuss, which is a very poor approach to a review, but I’ll discuss that elsewhere). Since reading The Wise Man’s Fear, I no longer find these faults in Rothfuss’ writing, as I believe there might be a purpose behind the seemingly trivial and dull points of the book. Actually, I am considering that there might be an even bigger purpose that has me leaning towards my conspiracy theorist side. But, that comes later in the review (warning: this will be a long one!). Since a lot of people have similar issues with Kvothe and The Wise Man’s Fear, in this review, I will share my initial reaction to the novel, and then my response to some of the criticism I found on Goodreads after finishing the novel.
My Initial Thoughts
This was an expansive novel, as Kvothe gets a lot done–both at the University and in his travels. He develops a lot as a character, learns a lot of new things (a few new languages, how to fight, how to make love like a fairy, how to call down lightning on bad guys, to name a few), and in search of answers to his many questions, he only finds more questions (close, but not quite as frustrating as a season of Lost). I loved the pacing of the plot, the new cultures and myths that were introduced, and the growing sense of mystery pervading throughout the tale. I had a lot of favorite quotes as well. Here are a few that stood out:
Kvothe on teaching: “It’s the questions we can’t answer that teach us the most. They teach us to think. If you give a man an answer, all he gains is a little fact. But give him a question and he’ll look for his own answers,” (556).
Vashet on why women are better fighters: Kvothe argues that men are bigger and stronger, which Vashet counters with: “that would matter if fighting were the same as splitting wood or hauling hay. That is like saying a sword is better the longer and heavier it is. Foolishness. Perhaps for thugs this is true.[…] the key is knowing when to fight. Men are full of anger, so they have trouble with this. Women less so,” (763).
Vashet on sparring before you’re ready: “That is like throwing two virgins into a bed. Enthusiasm, passion, and ignorance are not a good combination. Someone is likely to get hurt,” (767).
My only gripe with this book was the extended scenes of Kvothe in the land of Fae. He has a lot of fairy sex, and it felt eerily similar to Odysseus’ stay with Calypso in The Odyssey. However, I wish Rothfuss would have taken a lesson from Homer and skimmed over it–Odysseus was with Calypso for seven years, and yet Homer barely shows it. Unfortunately, Kvothe, and the reader, experience the fairy Felurian for months, which covers 80+ pages. Yet, this is a small gripe, because during these pages, we get a new plot twist with Kvothe’s encounter with the malicious oracle Cthaeh, and Kvothe got some new stories and a cool cloak out of it as well. Not too big a deal.
What They’re Saying at Goodreads
-“It’s offensive to women”: I completely disagree with this viewpoint. This was one of the most feminist books I’ve read since Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale last August. I mean really? Rothfuss has created what is supposed to be a superior society in the Adem, similar in their civilized ways to Swift’s Houyhnhnms in Gulliver’s Travels. The Adem society accepts that women make better fighters than men because they are more cool-headed (I might disagree with that occasionally, being a woman, and not always cool-headed) and considers men to be mainly useful for their Anger (penis).
Then, there’s the scene where Kvothe breaks the arm of a boy who calls two girls “whores” after they’ve been rescued from rapist bandits.
“I want you to look at these girls. And I want you to think about the hell they’ve been through in these past days, tied hand and foot in the back of the wagon. And I want you to ask yourself what’s worse. A broken arm, or getting kidnapped by a stranger and raped four times a night?”
The point which is considered to be offensive by some is when Kvothe compares sex with women to playing music. I just don’t see the offense. Apparently, Kvothe can, as he remarks
Some might take offense at this way of seeing things, not understanding how a trouper views his music. They might think I degrade women. They might consider me callous, or boorish, or crude.
But those people do not understand love, or music, or me.
I guess that means I do understand love, music, and Kvothe, because I could completely relate to his analogy.
– There’s a lot of slow, unnecessary parts: I really felt this way more often with The Name of the Wind, but not so much anymore. Each segment in the plot is clearly building Kvothe’s character as well as providing a framework for the overall story. I felt there was a purpose in all scenes (although, again, I could’ve done with less Felurian).
– “Look how awesome Kvothe is!” and Unbelievably, after each plot point, Kvothe is off on another adventure: Many reviewers gripe about a lack of plausibility in Kvothe’s character and numbers of adventures. Kvothe seems to be a genius at everything he attempts. He also seems to be involved in every crazy, over-the-top adventure possible, and these adventures are back-to-back-to-back (kind of goes against the above critique of slow, unnecessary parts, doesn’t it?).
I definitely see where these critics are coming from, but this is when I urge readers to remember that The Kingkiller Chronicle is a story about some dude telling a story–a dude named Kote, an innkeeper, who claims to be the legendary Kvothe. The majority of the two novels in the series are covering the story of Kvothe, and we only get little tidbits on the man telling the story. Who is this Kote, and is he reliable? Is he truly Kvothe? He’s certainly mysterious, and there are definitely little things about him that might cause the reader to question him.
Even if Kote truly is Kvothe, he’s still a master storyteller, and we’re hearing his story. He will make his hero out to be amazing, a genius, as it suits him. And, he’s telling the stories of Kvothe’s adventures, not the daily minutia of Kvothe’s day-to-day life. Thus, it will be action-packed because it is a story. A story within a story. We already know Kvothe likes to embellish his stories, so who’s to say he’s not embellishing his own “true” life story.
A final thought on this, coming from my conspiracy theorist side. Maybe, I’m too much of an X-Files fan, maybe I follow too closely the “Trust No One” creed, but sometimes I felt like Rothfuss was pulling a long con on me. I’m really not a hundred percent sure that I can believe everything the innkeeper Kote is telling the Chronicler. There is so much mystery–Bast, the innkeeper’s fae sidekick; random occurrences around the Inn; Kote/Kvothe’s lack of genius and ability in the present time. I feel like there is a lot more going on than meets the eye. I think I want to re-read all of the present-day scenes at the inn and see if I can pinpoint just what is making me second-guess.
Overall, I recommend this series highly. I will re-read it, I’ve bought copies for friends, and I think you should check it out too!
Links:
Man, this review is LITTERED with links! Click on a few, as they’re in context.
Free air conditioning--all year long!
It’s another cold, wet, blustery day here in San Diego! One of the perks of being in San Diego is that there really isn’t any reason to have a high energy bill. The weather typically is moderate, so no need for AC in the summer and no need for heat in the winter. However, on days and nights like this, with a house full of wide door jambs and such, it’s not too different from camping. You can feel the wind blowing in right through the cracks of the walls! That makes for a chilly house (but great on a hot, windy summer day)! So, I’m all bundled up in the house in my robe, scarf, long johns, wool socks and sweater. We San Diegans can be wusses about temperature changes, I know! But, it would be ridiculous to try to heat up this old, drafty house with no insulation whatsoever. So, we bundle up!
So, the fanfare may commence…I finished The Wise Man’s Fear relatively early (9:00 p.m.) last night! It was so good! If you missed them, I wrote readathon posts on Friday and Saturday, each with reading updates and reflection (and silly videos). Today, I will write my review (to post tomorrow) and begin reading The Waste Lands in continuance of The Dark Tower Reading Challenge (and The Stephen King project). I also need to read a classic for March still, and while I was planning on reading The Forsyte Saga for this month, it’s a hefty book and March is almost over! So, I’m going to push that off until I have a lot of free reading time (Spring Break in April or summer vacation in August). Instead, I think my classic will be A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway. My sister has urged me to read it, and the little bits I’ve skimmed while flipping through have shown it to be a very interesting book. So, I’m excited to start that up this week! I hope it counts for some of my challenges…
What else has been going on? Well, I’ve been having an internal debate on whether or not I should accept books for review. I’ve been getting approaches by authors about reading and reviewing their books, and I am skeptical to say the least. I don’t like being given something to read. It’s like someone throwing themself at you. I’m all about the chase. I want to find the perfect book for right now, and read it on my own time. Plus, I’m a horrible snob when it comes to what I read. It sounds pretentious, but I don’t read bad books. I just don’t. Or, if I do, I’m doing it on purpose. I can be in the mood for fluffy crap, but, even then, I seek it out. I seek my crap carefully. Plus, there’s the whole problem with my dislike of contemporary fiction. It’s a struggle for me to even read the Pulitzer winners for the Insatiable Booksluts’ Award-Winning Challenge, and those are award-winners!
So, after careful consideration, and the seeking out of advice from two book bloggers I greatly admire, and finally, after reading this article from the Los Angeles Review of Books, I have decided that I am not accepting books for review at this time. I will place this in my Contact page to avoid further consideration. I’ve just got too many good books of my own choosing to read, and I read enough sucky writing from my students–I don’t need to read potentially sucky books in my free time! So, if you’re looking for reviews of the newest upcoming novels, Adventures in Borkdom isn’t the place! Sorry!
Some really good news…Dewey’s Readathon is returning in April! I participated in my first Dewey back in October, and I had a blast! I read for the full 24 hours, ripped through 4.5 books, and participated in the challenges! If you’re looking for a good time, I urge you to sign up when the official linky becomes available (I’ll let you know when it does)! It could be a like a big fun sleepover, where we are all reading together and blogging and tweeting and rooting each other on! It could be so fun!!! It’ll take place April 21st, the third Saturday in April. Please, friends, set aside the date and sign up! IT COULD BE SO MUCH FUN!!!
Finally, I’ll be tuning in to tonight’s season finale of The Walking Dead! I was very happy when Shane died in the last episode (though, I wish it had been Carl who shot him. He could’ve done that when he was creeping around and saw Shane pointing a gun at his Dad. That would’ve been a huge turning point for Carl’s character! Of course, I’m assuming Carl was there to see the scene between Shane and Rick.), and I’m hoping to see some of Hershel’s red-shirt kids bite the big one tonight. And, if they’re not going to give T-Dog any sort of purpose, he could die too. If we played a drinking game where we drank everytime T-Dog appeared in an episode, we would be negative-drunk. He needs a purpose if he’s going to take up a valuable space on our survivor squad–there are too many stronger characters who could take his place! I’m crossing my fingers that one of those awesome characters will appear in tonight’s finale and set up an awesome new season in the Fall!
A rare sighting of T-Dog...
So, that’s what I’m up to. How ’bout you?
If you get a book cover tattooed on your body, you must really love the book. Or, at least, have some sort of connection to the book. Perhaps the art is just that awesome.
After reading Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut, my husband loved the book and the book cover so much that he got it tattooed on his arm. It looks like this:
While I have absolutely zero plans to get a tattoo, if I were, I wouldn’t doubt that it would be bookish. Here are some book covers that I would consider tattooing on my body. Each has some sort of reasoning behind it.
1. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
This would be such a “tuff” tattoo. I would feel super punk rock with a Clockwork Orange tatt.
2. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Marukami
I haven’t read this book, but I love the cover. It would make a lovely “girly” tattoo.
Maybe on my lower back instead of a fairy or dolphin.
3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
I love this cover, but hate the book. Have read it twice. This tattoo could be a reminder to not
ever try it again!
4. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
I have a good friend with an Alice tattoo. I love it. I have always loved this book,
and if I weren’t such a chicken, this would probably be my first choice for a tattoo.
5. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
I have always been attracted to the art of this classic. I think it would make a wonderful tattoo!
6. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
This would be such an awesome tattoo. It represents so much to me,
as a fan of the book, a fan of the genre, and a fan of the themes. I could see this on my arm!
7. Matilda by Roald Dahl
Perfecto! I love the illustrations by Quentin Blake in this book, and Matilda is so wonderfully
bookish that I feel that this would be a very good, meaningful tattoo.
8. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
I loved the book, and as a tattoo, Huckleberry Finn could also represent
my young life spent traveling across the states. He was a traveler, I was a traveler. Another great tattoo idea!
9. The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker
I would be proud to represent Dorothy Parker on my arm. She is (was) a
most awesome woman, and my tattoo could remind me of everything I wish to be as a woman.
10. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Such a wonderfully creepy book cover for one of my favorite horror classics.
This is a sister story, so this tattoo could also remind me of my close connection to my own sister.
I’m a big fan of early punk and new wave. I’m also a huge fan of classic literature. Here are ten punkish (my husband is forcing this disclaimer: I KNOW these don’t all fall in the “punk” category, but they are in the same vein) theme songs that remind me of some of my favorite literary works.
1. The Catcher in the Rye–“Walk on the Wild Side” by Lou Reed
This was an easy one. Holden’s adventures in New York City connect evenly with Lou Reed’s.
2. Hamlet–“Digital” by Joy Division
Oh Hamlet…so paranoid.
“I feel it closing in, I feel it closing in, day in, day out, day in, day out…”
3. Wuthering Heights–“Mother” by Danzig
Heathcliff. Mothers. Fathers. Lock your daughters up and away from the diabolical Heathcliff.
“Father. Gonna take your daughter out tonight. Gonna show her my world. Oh father.”
Heh, heh…Glen Danzig even kinda looks like Heathcliff.
4. Romeo and Juliet–“What Do I Get” by the Buzzcocks
If they hadn’t died tragically, I think Romeo would have tired of Juliet eventually. He just wanted a girlfriend–he was in love with love. I think Friar Lawrence told him that. But, before Juliet, he was unlucky in love. This is Romeo’s pre-Juliet theme song.
“I just want a lover like any other, what do I get? […] I only get sleepless nights, alone here in my half-empty bed,”
5. The Age of Innocence–“Pale Blue Eyes” by The Velvet Underground
The sad affair of Newland Archer and Countess Olenska:
It was good what we did yesterday.
And I’d do it once again.
The fact that you are married,
Only proves, you’re my best friend.
But it’s truly, truly a sin.
Linger on, your pale blue eyes.
6. The Portrait of a Lady–“Reptile” by The Church and “Gut Feeling” by Devo
Gilbert Osmond is truly an evil snake, and Isabel Archer doesn’t realize it until she is trapped into marriage with him! These two songs encapsulate what I think that must feel like.
Too dangerous to keep.
Too feeble to let go.
And you want to bite the hand.
Should have stopped this long ago.
I looked for sniffy linings
but you’re rotten to the core
I’ve had just about all I can take
you know I can’t take it no more
Got a gut feeling
7. Bleak House–“I Love Livin’ in the City” by Fear and “That’s Entertainment” by The Jam and “Boredom” by The Buzzcocks
The nastiness that is London is perfectly set to music in the gritty “I Love Livin’ in the City” and the bitter “That’s Entertainment”. Dickens would’ve approved.
Bodies wasted in the street,
People dyin’ on the street,
But the suburban scumbags, they don’t care,
Just get fat and dye their hair!
A smash of glass and the rumble of boots –
An electric train and a ripped up ‘phone booth –
Paint splattered walls and the cry of a tomcat –
Lights going out and a kick in the balls –
that’s entertainment
And for Lady Dedlock, “Boredom” by The Buzzcocks. Certainly her theme song!
8. Sense and Sensibility–“Ever Fallen in Love” by The Buzzcocks
Another Buzzcocks tune, this time for Marianne Dashwood and Willoughby. Theirs was an unfortunate love affair. The fast pace of this tune reminds me of their mad dash love affair.
I can’t see much of a future
Unless we find out what’s to blame
What a shame
And we won’t be together much longer
Unless we realize that we are the same
Ever fallen in love with someone?
Ever fallen in love? […]
You shouldn’t’ve fallen in love with
9. Washington Square–“Shakespeare’s Sister” by The Smiths
I admit that I haven’t read this book yet, but I saw the movie, and this song, particularly a certain part, reminds me of the young heiress trying to get past her father so that she might run away with her fortune-hunter(?) suitor.
But I’m going to meet the one I love
So please don’t stand in my way
Because I’m going to meet the one I love
No, Mamma, let me go !
10. The Portable Dorothy Parker–“Love Like Anthrax” by Gang of Four
I’m pretty sure that Dorothy Parker would have been into punk rock had she been alive. Surely, she would have approved of the lyrics in this song, which takes the same sardonic view of love:
“Love’ll get you like a case of anthrax
And that’s something I don’t want to catch.”
• Mrs. Warren’s Profession by George Bernard Shaw
• Paperback: 246 pages
• Publisher: Broadview, 2005 (originally published in 1898)
• ISBN: 1551116278
• Genre: Drama/ 19th Century Literature
• Recommended For: Fans of classic literature, specifically turn-of-the-century literature and fans of drama in general.
Quick Review: Earns a 86 %, or 4.3 stars out of 5. Check out my rubric for my detailed assessment. Mrs. Warren’s Profession Rubric
Overall, I recommend this to those interested in adding another strong female heroine to their top ten lists. Vivie has certainly made it into my top five!
How I Got Here: I’ve had this book since college, as it was on the required reading list for an English Lit. survey class. I have to admit that I didn’t read this one–I wasn’t always the best student! I finally decided to pick this one up as it satisfies tasks for the Award-Winning Challenge (Shaw was a Nobel Prize-Winner), Back to the Classics Challenge, and A Classics Challenge.
The Book: Goodreads’ Synopsis
One of Bernard Shaw’s early plays of social protest, Mrs Warren’s Profession places the protagonist’s decision to become a prostitute in the context of the appalling conditions for working class women in Victorian England. Faced with ill health, poverty, and marital servitude on the one hand, and opportunities for financial independence, dignity, and self-worth on the other, Kitty Warren follows her sister into a successful career in prostitution. Shaw’s fierce social criticism in this play is driven not by conventional morality, but by anger at the hypocrisy that allows society to condemn prostitution while condoning the discrimination against women that makes prostitution inevitable.
This Broadview edition includes a comprehensive historical and critical introduction; extracts from Shaw’s prefaces to the play; Shaw’s expurgations of the text; early reviews of the play in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain; and contemporary contextual documents on prostitution, incest, censorship, women’s education, and the “New Woman.”
My Analysis and Critique:
For me, the strength of this play was rooted in the character of Vivie. I had an acute connection with her. Some reviews of Mrs. Warren’s Profession have included remarks that Vivie is harsh and unlikeable. Well, I’ve been called harsh and cold for my own approach to certain topics and issues in my life, and when reading this play, I felt as if I had met my former life self.
Vivie is a fascinating character (see my detailed character profile here), as is her mother, Mrs. Warren. Mrs. Warren’s profession is prostitution. She has accumulated a lot of wealth via her rise from prostitute to madam of numerous European brothels. Her success has afforded Vivie an excellent education, yet has cost her a mother, as she only just meeting her mother for the first time at the start of the play. This might account for some of her coldness.
When Vivie first learns of her mother’s line of work, she is forgiving. Yet, once she learns that the work is ongoing, even though her mother has gained all of the wealth she could ever want, Vivie is repulsed and disowns her mother. While some may argue that Vivie’s reaction to her mother’s current profession is rather more conventional than she claims to be, I think it shows more of her logic and feminist ideals. She can stand by this choice of work when it is made by a woman with no opportunities, wealth, or even hope. However, when it is made by a woman with lots of money and no need of further work, it is unacceptable. She takes particular offense to her mother, as a madam, subjecting more young girls to this line of work: “when I think of how helpless nine out of ten young girls would be in the hands of you […]!”
The rest of the characters are good, but flat: the vicar with skeletons in his closet, the fortune-hunting young man after Vivie’s money, the artist selling the merits of art and beauty, the scoundrel/gentleman. All helped move the plot along, but this is really a mother-daughter show.
Overall, I recommend this to those interested in adding another strong female heroine to their top ten lists. Vivie has certainly been added to my top five!
Side Notes:
– It’s funny that this, the second classic that I’ve read this year, takes place, in part, on Chancery Lane. Bleak House was all about it, and Vivie loves working there. This has caused me to have daydreams of Vivie battling Tulkinghorn, the misogynist lawyer in Bleak House. Tulkinghorn was pretty formidable and unflappable, but I bet Vivie could make him flinch!
– Another Dickens connection: Mrs. Warren could have opened a house for fallen women as Dickens did in real life. Dickens’ “Home” was for women in the same situation as young Mrs. Warren–young, impoverished women with no solutions to their low situations other than prostitution. Dickens provided them with room and board, as well as home-making lessons and a garden, in hopes of setting them up with future husbands abroad. Mrs. Warren knows the life of these young girls intimately and could use her wealth to help these girls rise above their situations. I’m sure Vivie would approve of that!
Links:
I am participating in A Classics Challenge, hosted by November’s Autumn, and each month participants are asked to write a post in response to a prompt related to their current read.
This month focuses upon characters. I just finished reading Mrs. Warren’s Profession, and I would like to discuss my newest favorite female character Vivie. Shaw’s play was published in 1898, and was considered to be written in “social protest”. Among its topics are new-budding feminism and prostitution. Vivie is a fascinating character of the feminist persuasion.
When the reader (viewer) is first introduced to Vivie, we find her to be both athletic and bookish. She is laying in a hammock on a summer afternoon, her bike resting against a wall. She is reading a book, taking notes, with a kitchen chair posted up next to her, piled high with “a stack of serious-looking books and a supply of writing paper.”
Shaw describes her as “an attractive specimen of the sensible, able, highly-educated young middle-class Englishwoman. Age 22. Prompt, strong, confident, self-possessed. Plain business-like dress, but not dowdy. She wears a chatelaine [a sort of fashionable chain] at her belt, with a fountain pen and a paper knife among its pendants.”
Vivie is a young woman of high intellect and practical aspirations. She has won third wrangler at Cambridge (a mathematics award), and states that her knowledge of the world is limited to “mathematics, lawn-tennis, eating, sleeping, cycling, and walking.”
She hopes to set up a law office in London, where she is already assisting another female lawyer. She explains her love for work as thus: “I like working and getting paid for it. When I’m tired of working, I like a comfortable chair, a cigar, a little whisky, and a novel with a good detective story in it.”
Vivie dislikes anything flippant (holidays, art, romance, and beauty) and desires independence and self-sufficiency. She shocks the men that she encounters with a very firm handshake and she has an aversion to tears and fainting.
In short, Vivie is the “New Woman”. I admire this woman.
As the play progresses, Vivie doesn’t so much change as she simply grows more firm in her self. She is more confidently rooted in being independent and self-sufficient. She gives up her fancy for her young, silly suitor Frank and cuts ties with her mother who is both completely unconventional, yet too conventional for Vivie. While her mother wants her to have the most upscale, leisurely life typical of the nobility of Victorian England, Vivie is of a completely different mindset:
“Mother: you don’t at all know the sort of person I am. […] I know perfectly well that fashionable morality is all a pretence, and that if I took your money and devoted the rest of my life to spending it fashionably, I might be as worthless and vicious as the silliest woman could possibly want to be without having a word said to me about it. But I dont want to be worthless. I shouldn’t enjoy trotting about the park to advertize my dressmaker and carriage builder, or being bored at the opera to shew off a shopwindowfull of diamonds.”
Instead, Vivie has now joined in partnership with her lawyer friend on Chancery Lane and has vowed that “there is no beauty and no romance in life for me. Life is what it is; and I am prepared to take it as it is.”
While I greatly admire Vivie’s strength and determination, especially for the time period (I can’t believe that Vivie is working in law on Chancery Lane where, only about 50-60 years before, that would be unheard of with Tulkinghorn’s set [see Bleak House]!), I am concerned that she will find herself seriously lonely and regretful if she doesn’t add some “beauty and romance” to her life. I’m all for independence and self-sufficiency through work, but let’s face it, work isn’t everything. If I ever met her, I’d probably pass on the adage “Work to live, don’t live to work.” Not that I’m very good at following this, but I try really hard to be. Maybe we could support each other.
Overall, Vivie is an amazing character–one whom I will gladly add to my favorite literary females shelf, alongside Elizabeth Bennet, Isabel Archer, and Beatrice.
• Locke & Key, volume 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
• Hardcover: 158 pages
• Publisher: IDW 2008
• ISBN: 1600102379
• Locke & Key, volume 2: Head Games by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: IDW 2009
• ISBN: 1600104835
• Locke & Key, volume 3: Crown of Shadows by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: IDW 2010
• ISBN: 1600106951
• Genre: Graphic Novel, Horror/Fantasy
• Recommended For: lovers of horror and fantasy; anyone who enjoys graphic novels.
Quick Review: Earns an 92 %, or 4.6 stars out of 5. Check out my rubric for my detailed assessment. Locke & Key 1-3 Rubric
This series is addicting and showcases what Hill is best at–characterization, and the mystery and magic within the plot forces the reader to imagine all the possibilities of Keyhouse. Highly recommended for readers of fantasy and horror as this series is highly imaginative and promises to be an awesome ongoing plot.
How I Got Here: I have read Hill’s two novels–Heart-Shaped Box and Horns— and would consider myself a fan of his work, eager to observe and support him as he develops as an author. So, it was only natural that I would check out his graphic novel series. Also, Locke & Key is huge at Comic-Con every year, so I have been wondering what I have been missing. Now, I can confidently attend the annual panel showcasing the series and hopefully MEET Joe Hill this summer and not be a total dingus. Finally, my girl Amy, from Lucy’s Football, is another Hill fan and highly recommended this series back in October when I was reading Horns. That was the kicker.
The Series: Synopsis from the Publisher, IDW
EISNER-NOMINATED BEST LIMITED SERIES!
EISNER-NOMINATED BEST AUTHOR!
Acclaimed suspense novelist and New York Times best-selling author Joe Hill (Heart-Shaped Box) creates an all-new story of dark fantasy and wonder: Locke & Key. Written by Hill and featuring astounding artwork from Gabriel Rodriguez (Clive Barker’s The Great and Secret Show, Beowulf), Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them…. and home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all…
My Synopsis:
The series kicks off with a violent attack on a family and their subsequent move from northern California to Lovecraft, Maine (love the Lovecraft allusion, of course). The mourning Locke family consists of the eldest son Tyler, middle daughter Kinsey, and the youngest son Bode, along with their very damaged and alcoholic mother. The Lockes move into Keyhouse, which has been in the deceased father’s family for centuries. Keyhouse has many mysteries, including keys which always seem to appear to the precocious youngster Bode. Lurking in Keyhouse’s wellhouse is a malevolent spirit who goes by various names, but I’ll associate him with his pseudonym Dodge. As the series unfolds, the Locke children will have to uncover the mysteries of the keys and go head-to-head with the scheming Dodge.
My Analysis and Critique:
I really enjoyed the first three books in this graphic novel series! Each book ignited my imagination as the Locke children discovered new keys which unlocked new powers and abilities for whomever turned them. This series is like the horror version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe or Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and through the Looking-Glass. It has everything my imagination craved as a young reader, but also the horror and adult themes for my adult self.
The pacing of the series is very tight, with back stories slowly unraveling, characters developing evenly, while action, horror, and mystery are sprinkled throughout. Basically, this series has everything that keeps readers turning pages ravenously and coming back for more.
Now my rundown on each book:
Welcome to Lovecraft:
This book served as the exposition to the series, providing the basic setup of initial conflict with Rendell’s (the Locke patriarch) murder and the family’s subsequent struggle in dealing with the attack and the loss of Rendell.
Welcome to Lovecraft also introduces us to all of the primary characters of the series. Readers meet the Locke kids–we see Tyler in his beloved Oakland A’s hat fishing, Kinsey with her dreadlocks and eyebrow piercing looking after her little brother Bode, who is using his imagination with a self-created treasure-finder. Throughout the rest of the book, the kids change due to the violence dealt to their family, yet stay true to their core personalities. I really enjoyed the character details throughout, and these characters felt very real–Tyler’s anger, Kinsey’s insecurities, and Bode’s aloofness as a young boy. The mother copes with her rape and her husband’s murder through drink, essentially abandoning her children to look out for themselves in their new environment in Lovecraft as she drinks her pain away. Again, this seems true.
Readers also meet the rest of the major cast of Locke & Key in this book: Duncan, the kind uncle who delivers the Locke family to Lovecraft and Keyhouse; Sam, the psychotic student killer of Rendell, who isn’t finished with the Locke family yet; and Echo, the strange spirit girl living at the bottom of a well at Keyhouse.
Hill’s greatest strength in this book is his characterization, but a close second would be what may be considered a character in its own right–Keyhouse. Keyhouse is an amazing old house full of colonial history and magical keys! Bode seems to be the “keymaster”, always uncovering the keys and discovering their uses. Being a child, he is, of course, more open to the idea of magic, so this makes sense. The keys are magic–and they are so cool! In this book, there is the introduction to five keys–the Ghost key (when turned in a certain door, the user becomes a ghost), the Gender key (changes one’s gender), the Echo key (I still don’t get this one, but it has something to do with echos, and it imprisoned the girl at the bottom of the well), the Anywhere key (it takes you anywhere!) and the mysterious omega key (it’s a mystery, I don’t know what it does).
Overall, I enjoyed this book as an introduction to the rest of the series, but, as usual, I don’t like book beginnings, so this book is my least favorite. Yet, it is a very good setup for the rest of the series.
Bonus Feature at the End: an awesome piece of artwork that features the inside of Bode’s head!
Head Games:
Here the series really picks up with a lot of back story on various characters. We learn more about the malevolent Dodge (who is Echo in book one and now goes by the name Zach in his newest incarnation). We also learn more about who Duncan is and are introduced to another key character, Ellie, who is very much tied up with Dodge. Via Ellie’s story, we meet her son Rufus, who promises to be a very interesting character throughout the series.
The book also centers around a new key that Bode has found–one that literally opens one’s head! The head key provides the opportunity for its users to add in and take out whatever they want from their own heads! Via this plot development, we get to see some really cool artwork of what the insides of our characters’ heads look like (for example, Bode’s is full of dinosaurs and robots and playing with his family). Obviously, this works really well for further character development. The head key also provides opportunities for mischief when Dodge gets a hold of it, as he moves throughout the book, tampering with people’s heads.
I really enjoyed this book as it stirred up my imagination and filled me with wonder. Also, there are so many good mysteries started, via the back stories, that I am curious to know more about what has happened before at Keyhouse, and with Dodge. Who is Dodge? What is his purpose? How did he get to Keyhouse?
Bonus Feature at the End: an awesome extra that focuses upon the history of the keys. Readers get to check out excerpts from the diary of Benjamin Pierce Locke, who created the keys during the Revolution. I loved this extra, especially since it only stirred up more curiosity and questions for me!
Crown of Shadows:
My favorite of the series! The Locke kids are finally getting it together and finding strength and developing into firmly-rooted characters!
This book was darker as Dodge has discovered the Shadow key, which unlocks shadows to act at your bidding. Of course, Dodge uses it for his malicious purposes, unleashing creepy shadows on the Locke kids at Keyhouse as they are home alone. These were the best scenes of the book.
Second-best part of the book was Kinsey’s development. In this book, she earned the title of my favorite character in the series. She gets into some hijinks at the beginning of the book with some new characters, Scot and Jamal, and by the end of the book, these two quirky characters become her closest friends. I love these two boys, and I hope they become a major part of the storyline as their quirkyness will add to the plot. I’d love to see them joining forces with the Locke kids as they battle Dodge.
Finally, this book introduced some more keys that have exciting implications. As mentioned before, there is the Shadow Key, but the Locke mother (who is my least favorite character with her alcoholic self-pity) discovers a new key that fixes things. I’m not sure how this will be used, but I’m sure it will bring about some interesting plot development. In addition, Tyler found the Giant key, which was very helpful in the battle against the shadows.
Bonus Feature at the End: more keys added to Benjamin Locke’s diary! The excerpts from the history of the keys now includes the Shadow key, the Giant key, and the Mending key!
Miscellaneous Praises and Gripes:
– I still don’t get the Echo key. I don’t understand its purpose and how it works.
– I love scanning the books in the background of each of the comic’s panels. Among the books in Keyhouse, you’ll find (of course) Lovecraft, Bradbury, and Philip K. Dick.
– While Tyler and Kinsey are supposed to be in high school, it doesn’t seem like a high school. It comes off as more of a college. I guess it’s a private school. However, it keeps throwing me off!
– Along the same lines, it doesn’t seem like a high school because Scot has tattoos! What’s up with that? I don’t know of any high-school-age teens with a bunch of tats! That bugged me too. Is that an art issue? Or a characterization issue?
– Final gripe: why does the mom always have to be wearing tops with her boobs all out? Her boobs are her most defining feature (next to the ever-present wine glass/bottle). Confusing for a mother character to be treated so sexually. I guess it’s a comic book thing.
Links:
Goodreads Reviews:
Adventures in Borkdom 